Chapter Text
Mako found that his arguments with Wu were much more enjoyable now that they were a couple.
"I'm telling you, Mako, I'm definitely more unlucky than you are," Wu insisted, putting his cup of tea down. The two were sitting in front of the large window in Wu's bedroom on the top floor of the palace, the evening sun casting a golden tint on them. Mako wouldn't admit it, but he would miss the little luxuries like this that came with his boyfriend's temporary title after all the states finally converted to a democratic system. After Wu abdicated, Mako would ask him to move into into his apartment back in Republic City so Wu didn't have to spend so much money on his monthly trip to Ba Sing Se. Finally meeting Wu's mock-insulted gaze, he rolled his eyes, putting all his effort into stifling his smile.
"You have got to be kidding me," Mako replied. "So much dumb shit has happened to me throughout my lifetime. Also, you getting yourself into ridiculous situations does not count as bad luck, Wu.
"You know, this just proves that I'm unluckier. I ended up with a jackass like you for a bodyguard."
"Again, one of your own dumb choices. And I think I'm the one who suffered during that period of time."
"Apparently I also ended up with a jackass for a partner."
"Hey!"
Wu laughed, and Mako finally let a grin spread across his face, his chest lightening at the cheerful sound. After Wu's laughter faded into a soft smile, he grabbed Mako's hand and lightly pressed a kiss to it.
"I love you," he murmured. Mako blinked, his face burning and his heart doing flips his chest.
"Huh?" Wu's content expression shifted to one of amused disbelief.
"More unlucky, my ass. I'm so unlucky I have a boyfriend that responds to 'I love you' with that.'" Mako's face reddened even more, and his offended stammering was just met with more laughter. "You were more emotional when you were my bodyguard, and that's saying something."
"It's because I was so unlucky, I had to watch over a prince that stressed me out constantly." Mako retorted, finally finding his tongue. "A man can only be cool and brooding for so long." Wu chuckled at that, still gripping Mako's hand.
"Come on, Mako! Since when have I stressed you out?"
"Are you kidding? You got kidnapped, for spirits sake!"
"Wow, I can't believe you love me so much you'll help my case!" Wu said with his trademark grin. Mako's embarrassment was almost overpowered by his love for that smile. "I'm so unlucky I've been kidnapped twice!"
Mako stared at him. Wu realized what he had just said, and he quickly moved his hand over his mouth. Worry coursed through Mako's body as Wu's pupils dialated slightly and the hand over his mouth was clamping down with a surprising amount of force.
"Wu, you've been kidnapped before you came to Republic City?" Mako asked quietly. "Or do you mean when Guan's forces captured you, but I think that was a different crime. Maybe abduction? I guess it doesn't matter but-" Suddenly his blood ran cold, then burning hot, fire nipping at his fingertips. "Wait, there wasn't a kidnapping while you were in Ba Sing Se, right?!" Mako said frantically, his volume increasing. He subdued his flames and reached out for Wu's shoulder, but to his shock, his arm was swatted away. Wu looked equally surprised for a moment, then shrugged and let out some clearly forced laughter.
"Sorry, I mispoke!" he said hurriedly. "I meant I've been kidnapped once, clearly. I've only been kidnapped once. Just a lapse in thinking."
"You're clearly lying, Wu!" Mako yelled, his worry increasing tenfold. "What's wrong?" No response. Mako's worry morphed into full blown fear as Wu just gripped the edge of the table, sweat dripping down his forehead and a pained expression plastered across his face. He was no longer listening.
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"What are they doing here!?"
"Do whatever it takes, injure him if you want, but don't kill him!"
"Don't touch him!"
Fire was engulfing everything in his sight, crackling and smoking and destroying and destroying and destroying. Rubble littered the grass, most of which was either charred or trampled. The sky above was a rich black that seemed to stretch out to infinity, decorated with shining stars and one round, beautiful, full moon. He was tired, so tired, too tired to squirm or kick or even to cry. His stomach ached badly, and blood was dripping from it that stained his shirt badly. He was being held in place forcefully by two ghosts, their previously enraged expressions now melted into nothing. Many, many more ghosts inspected the wreckage, floating in and out of his field of vision. Those ghosts were loud, laughing if they were at a party, but maybe they weren't really laughing because their mouths writhed like snakes.
Two large stones lay among the wreckage, one battered and cracked, another badly singed from the fire. The first stone had been there for a while, but the second stone had just recently been dragged outside. Even the the loudest ghost would not make a sound as he passed the stones. As if he was afraid of them. They all seemed afraid, some refusing to even look at them. Why? What was so scary about two stones?
Wait. Were those stones?
Those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones those weren't stones
And he finally began to cry.
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Wu jolted into an upright position. The sun was close to setting, the sky turning various shades of pink and orange. His head was pounding, and he grabbed his chest with one hand, feeling his heart hammering rapidly.
"Take deep breaths."
Wu's head swung to the side. Mako was kneeling down next to him, holding the hand that Wu had left on the table, his expression unclear through his blurry vision. He assumed that Mako had been in that position the whole time, and in his current state of shock, he couldn't feel anything about it but mild relief. He did as he was told, inhaling and exhaling, albeit with faltering breaths, until his heart rate had calmed somewhat and he could see clearly. It was finally then that he realized what had just happened.
Wu quickly withdrew his hand from Mako's and crossed his arms, filled with equal amounts of horror and embarrassment. Tears he didn't even know he was crying were still rolling down his cheeks, and he rubbed his hand across his face harshly. All he accomplished was scratching his face with his manicured nails, most likely leaving unseemly marks on his face. Well, he thought, laughing humorlessly, at least now I have a real reason to be crying.
He repeated the sentiment out loud, but in his peripheral Mako just shook his head and frowned. Wu stared blankly out the window for several more minutes before he conceded and turned to face him. Mako's face was twisted with absolute terror and sadness, and Wu felt his heart crack when he saw that his eyes were watering. He knew that technically it was neither of their faults that this had happened, so why did he feel so guilty? Why did this even happen in the first place? Wu's attacks were typically reserved for the late hours of the night, his shaking and screaming and tears witnessed by no one but the moon.
"Wu..." Mako tried, his voice quivering slightly. "I had no idea that you had panic attacks. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because it's not your problem!" Wu shouted, causing Mako to recoil. Wu sighed defeatedly, running his hand through his hair and trying to ignore the guilt rising in him like vomit. Or maybe he really was going to vomit. It wasn't very common, but some of his worse attacks made him so nauseous he would throw up all his dinner. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell," he continued, wiping the last of his tears successfully this time. "It's just something I have to deal with on my own. Why do you think I never let you sleep in my room in the night? This wasn't even a bad one, so don't stress yourself out." Mako just laughed incredulously, his tears finally spilling down his face.
"How the fuck could you even say that? How could I not be stressed out?" he whispered, his grip on Wu's hand tightening. He moved closer to his partner, still kneeling on the ground, and looked him directly in the eyes. "Wu. I love you. You know you can trust me with anything...right?"
Wu observed his boyfriend, almost too exhausted to be heartbroken at the tears in his beautiful golden eyes. Then he considered Mako's question. If anyone could understand his anguish, it was the man in front of him. Mako had told him the story a few months into their relationship, and it shocked him, how similar they actually were. He could trust Mako with anything.
"Mako," he began, putting on a guise of apathy. "Have you ever wondered I was next in line to the throne after my great-aunt died?"
Mako stared at him blankly for a few minutes, and realization filled his eyes at the same moment dread filled Wu's stomach. He shouldn't have done this. Even though he did trust Mako, how could he possibly say this outloud? Would Mako think he was weak for keeping these twisted emotions to himself all these years, treating them like some fucked up lifeline? And could he explain what had truly happened that day without completely losing his mind?
It was impossible.
"Never mind, Mako. I don't really think I should talk about this," he said robotically, rising from his seat in one quick motion and wrenching his hand out of Mako's for what was probably the tenth time this evening. He had to get out of here, had to be alone. "You can stay in my room tonight, I'll take yours. Goodnight."
"Wait, you-"
Wu promptly left his bedroom before Mako could finish his sentence, slamming the door shut on his grief-stricken boyfriend and tea that had long gone cold.